Process of protectively preserving food products.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. FITZGERALD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIG-NOR 0E FIFTY-FIVE ONE- HUNDREDTHS T0 EUGENE M. KEELEY,

ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO ROBERT T. WEIR.

JOHN M. WEIR, AND TWENTY TWENTY-FIVE ONE-HUNDREDTHS TO PROCESS OF PROTECTIVELY PRESERVING FOOD PRODUCTS;

1 ,048,67 5. No Drawing.

Patented Dec. 31, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN J. FITZGERALD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Processes of Protectively Preserving Food Products, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object a process for protectively wrapping perishable foodproducts in such manner that they will be preserved from decay or molding or fermentation or other form of organic decomposition and from the ravages of insects or insect larvae, without introducing preservatives into the body of the food-products to be wrapped.

The protective preservative wrapping involved in my process is set forth in my copending application, Serial No. 491,618, filed Apr. 22, 1909.

Many food-products, such for instance, as prepared or smoked meats, and other prepared foods, are prepared, ready for wrapping, in such manner that at the time they are wrapped they are entirely safe from subsequent decomposition or molding or the ravages of insect larvae if it is possible to prevent the subsequent development of mold or decomposition through or just under the Wrapping and to prevent the attack of insects or deposit of insect-eggs through the wrapping or envelop of the wrapped product. To treat the body of the food-product with preservatives, antiseptic or insecticidal, may impair the food qualities or wholesomeness of the product or even make it-seriously injurious to health.

Theprocess of my present invention consists in-z-first, impregnating the wrappingmaterial with an antiseptic solution preventive of the development of mold-spores or of any germs of decay or decomposition,

and also with an insectifuge or active principle that is repellent to insects, and then closely or hermetically wrapping or enveloping the prepared food-product with such im-' pregnated wrapping-material. For the antiseptic solution I may use, preferably, such an antiseptic as aboron compound, preferably a solution of borax; and for the insectifuge I may use such an active principle as the essence, essential oil, extract, or other active principle of a spice or condiment that such proportion the insectifuge is repellent or repulsive to insects, and preferably I use an emulsion of the oleoresin of such spice, a preferred oleoresin being that of capsicum. The borax solution used may be a saturated aqueous one, but it is applied in such limited quantity that the proportion of borax deposited in the wrapping-material is only a small percentage, preferably about two and one-half percentum, of the weight of the wrapping-material impregnated, so that no objectionable excess of the crystalline boron compound is deposited in said wrapping-material; and the preparation of the oleoresin of capsicum used is applied in that the oleoresin deposited is, preferably, about one two-thousandth part, or five hundredths of one percentum, of the weight of thewrapping-material impregnated. The mixture of the oleoresin with the aqueous solution of the boron compound, for application to the wrapping material, is effected by first making a perfect emulsion of oleoresin with the aid of an emulsifying agent, such as gum-arabic, an then mixing such emulsion thoroughly with the aqueous solution, effecting a perfect dif fusion of the emulsion so that when the wrapping-material is impregnated pound and the oleoresin of capsicum will both be evenly distributed throughout the entire substance of said wrapping-material. The wrapping-material used may be wrapping-paper or other fibrous wrapping-material or wrappingfabric or cardboard or scale-board or other wrapping-material used for packing or enveloping meats or other food-products. When the food-product is wrapped with such impregnated wrappingmateria-l, no mold-spores or any germs of decomposition can develop on either the outside or the inside of the wrapper, and no insects will attack the wrapper or remain upon such wrapper long enough to puncture it with their ovipositors, so that such wrapping not only prevents the superficial development of mold or decay but also prevents the introduction of insect larvae into the wrapped product. -Further, there is a very slight sufl'usion of the antiseptic and from the wrapping-material to the surface of the wrapped product, especially in the case of a somewhat moist prodwith the mixture, the boron contv through the solution,

uct such as meat, and this slight sufiusion been deposited on the opment of any mold-spores or germs of decomposition orinsect eggs that may, 'liave surface of the prepared meat or food-product before its close or hermetic packing pleted; but this slight sutfusion of the antiseptic or the insectifiuge, or both, to the surface of the wrapped product .is so extremely superficial as to make no impairment what-' ever of the food:qualities of the food-product andv to be in fact practically imperceptible when the product is unwrapped for use. The protective qualities of the impregnated wrapping-material are permanent, because both the precipitated boron compound and the oleoresin of capsicum in the body of such wrapping-material, are non-Volatile.

The protective preservative processof my invention may be embodied in Various modifications within the scopeot the claims hereinaftermade;

and the antiseptic may be omitted Where the protection aflorded by it o is not required, as indicated by its omission from the terms I claim p 1. A process of protectively preserving perishable food-products, consisting in first permeating wrapping-material with an antiseptic and an insectifuge, said insectifuge being the active principle of a spice, and then closely. enveloping the food-product with such wrapping material, substantially as specified.

2. A process of protectively preserving perishable food-products, consisting in first permeating wrapping-material With an antiseptic solution and an emulsion of oleoresin of capsicum and then closely enveloping the food-product with such Wrappingmaterial, substantially as specified.

A process'of protectively preserving perishable food-products, consisting in first permeating wrapping-material with a solu} tion of a boron compound-and an emulsion of oleoresin of capsicum and then closely enveloping the food-product with suchwrapping-material, substantially as specified.

4. A process of protectively preserving perishable food-products, consisting in first permeating wrapping-material with a soluof some of the said claims.

or wrapping is com-' I tion of borax and an emulsion of oleoresin of caps1cum,;the impregnated material gontw'oand one-half per centum taining about and about five-hundredths of of the borax one per cent-um of the oleoresin of capsicum, I

and then-closely enveloping the food-product with such wrapping-material, substantially as specified.

5. A process of protectively preserving perishablefood-products, consisting in first permeating wrapping-material with an antiseptic solution and an emulsion of the oleoresin of a spice and then closely enveloping the food-product with suchwrap-ping-material, substantially as specified.

6. In a process of protectively preserving perishable food-products, consisting in first permeating Wrapping-material with an insectifuge, said insect-ifugeb'eing the active principle of a spice, and then: closely enveloping the food-product with such wrappingmaterial, substantially as specified.

In a process of protectively preserving perishable food-products, consisting in first permeating wrapping-material with an emulsion of oleoresin of capsicum and then closely enveloping the food-product with such Wrapping-material, substantially, as specified.

8. In a process of perishable food products, consisting in first permeating wrapping material with an emulsion of'oleoresin of capsicum, the permeated impregnated material containing about fivehundredths of'one per centum of the oleoresin of capsicum, and then closely enveloping the food-product with suc' wrappingmaterial, substantially as specified.

9. In a process of protectively preserving perishable food-products, consisting in first permeating wrapping-material with an emulsion of the oleoresin of a spice and then closely enveloping the food p'roduct with such wrapping material, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN J.FIClZGrEBALD. Witnesses:

' HENRY Lovn CLARKE,

. H. M. MUNDAY.

protectively preserving 

